Thomas Mills High School & Sixth Form
Saxtead Road, Framlingham, Woodbridge, IP13 9HEOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Thomas Mills High School & Sixth Form is a secondary school in Woodbridge for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 357 schools in Suffolk. It ranks 11th of 43 secondary schools in Suffolk. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 24 January 2023, report published 16 March 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 24 January 2023
Pupils feel safe at school. They recognise that there have been considerable improvements in the way leaders manage concerns that they raise. They are confident that adults will help them if they are unhappy. Pupils agree that it is okay to be different and that their peers are tolerant and welcoming. They value their lessons where they learn about being healthy, staying safe and accepting differences. Bullying is rare at the school, but some pupils say that there are still a few unkind comments from their peers. This can sometimes continue, even after adults have intervened. Pupils are very well behaved in lessons and social time. They are respectful to adults and polite to visitors. All pupils know they are expected to do well. Sixth-form students show high levels of resilience in their lessons, and grapple with challenging work very positively. Pupils really enjoy participating in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. There are a lot of activities to choose from. Comic book club, film club, music, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and football are just some of the popular options. There is ample time at lunch to attend the activities on offer, so more pupils join in.
What the school should improve
- In a minority of subjects, teachers focus on examination assessment objectives and skills too early. This means that pupils do not learn a broad enough range of subject content in sufficient detail before they complete complex examination style tasks. Consequently, they do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the range of subject content is taught and that pupils have grasped the crucial component knowledge that they need to achieve well before moving on to the next stage.
- Teachers do not consistently use assessment as well as they should. As a result, gaps in some pupils' knowledge are not addressed quickly enough, and some activities are not matched well enough to what pupils need to learn. Leaders should ensure that they support teachers to assess well and adapt their teaching accordingly.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
173 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
109 students
Average A level grade C, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
1,056 pupils on roll, with places for 1,170
Schools near Thomas Mills High School & Sixth Form
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Framlingham College | 0.5 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 43.5 |
| Stradbroke High School | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 44.3 |
| Debenham High School | 7 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 55.7 |
| Farlingaye High School | 9 miles | Report card: Needs attention to strong standard | Attainment 8: 43.8 |
| Woodbridge School | 9 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 40.4 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THOMAS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Philip Hurst
- Phone
- 01728723493
- Address
- Saxtead Road, Framlingham, Woodbridge, IP13 9HE
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- URN
- 136782
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.